Tripura Tribal Welfare Dept issues show cause to 34 students for Scholarship Fraud

The Tribal Welfare Department has issued show cause notices to 34 students, asking them to explain why FIRs should not be lodged against them and have been given 15 days to submit their responses after they were allegedly found to have applied for the ST Post-Matric Scholarship for 2023-24 through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) using fake income certificates.

In a notice, Director of Tripura Tribal Welfare Depatment, Subhasish Das said that it has been revealed from the enquiries conducted by competent administrative authorities that 34 (thirty-four) students, had applied for ST Post-Matric Scholarship for the AY/FY 2023-24 through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), uploading fake income certificates.

“..the production of such fake income certificates to usurp scholarship grants constitutes misappropriation of public money, document forgery, and defrauding the scholarship sanctioning authority, and therefore, amounts to a criminal offence; Now therefore, the  34 students are hereby asked to show cause as to why F.I.R.s shall not be lodged against them for having submitted fake income certificates through the NSP with the motive of falsely establishing their claims for ST Post-Matric Scholarship for the AY/FY 2023-24”, the notice reads.

Das said that they have given 15 days of time to the students to submit the report.

“Their reply, if any in defence, shall reach the undersigned in writing no later than the 16th April, 2025, failing which actions shall ensue against them ex parte”, he added.

Among the 34 students, three are from Gomati, 4 from Khowai, 8 from West, 13 from Sepahijala District, 2 are from Dhalai, one each from North and Unakoti District and two from South District.